Versarien Share Discussion Threads

[filtered by fest] 15/11/2019 12:05

Neill feeds Graphene to swans.

[schmally] 15/11/2019 11:53

Dreamy,

I really think you need to evidence your statement that VRS graphene is being "used in smartbombs to kill innocent women and children"

I'm sure Neill would be happy to respond on that specific allegation, given that it is totally baseless and therefore clearly libellous.

[schmally] 15/11/2019 11:48

Dreamy, And Wyedean school confirmed in a newsletter that Neill had indeed committed to the science development. They were also kind enough to respond to a direct question on the subject to confirm that plans have simply been delayed, but investment has been committed to by Neill.

[filtered by fest] 15/11/2019 11:46

Just like a number of your comments on the SECRET Twitter group, you know the one you'd 'never join even if you were invited'

[festario] 15/11/2019 11:42

Jas, that's libellous

[schmally] 15/11/2019 11:42

Thank you for proving my point Jas and for commenting exactly as I predicted in my post. Correct! Neill has sold "OPTIONS" that are effectively an extension of salary and bonuses and are significantly more tax efficient than receiving a direct salary. This is entirely sensible and in my view perfectly reasonable. It raises zero concerns to me as a shareholder and is in no way a red flag.

As predicted you also forgot to balance your statement by also highlighting when Neill sold options immediately before another positive RNS. He is also very limited in terms of when he can sell.

But you know all this already

[schmally] 15/11/2019 11:31

Correct Bill, Peter Jay has come and gone, after securing a more senior position in HMG as a result of his stirling work. I note you conveniently forgot to mention he was replaced by Yi Luo another DIT secondee and that VRS are still the only company in the UK with 2 DIT employees. The only other company with a DIT secondee is that insignificant little Rolls Royce (just the one mind you).

Matt is secured until May next year, at which time Chinese negotiations should be complete. His stay has also been extended once already, so who's to say whether he'll stay for longer, or whether HMG may give another high flier an opportunity to make a name for themselves inside one of the UK's most exciting business.

It's probably a good time to remind ourselves about Yi and what she has been tasked with at VRS:

"Yi will be focussed on progressing the Company's international expansion, particularly in China, working alongside Matt Walker who has been on secondment to Versarien from the DIT since May 2018.

Yi read Natural Sciences at Cambridge University, majoring in chemistry, and is completing her PhD in organic chemistry at University College London, alongside her work for the UK Government. Her previous roles in Government have included working with the DIT's London and Devolved Administrations teams, where she provided analytical insights to help achieve foreign direct investment targets. Following this, she was a Private Secretary for ex-BEIS Minister Lord Prior, covering technology, rail and materials.

Her most recent role was as a Senior Policy Adviser for the BEIS Future Sectors team, where she led the team's international portfolio, pushing forward the Government's robotics and drones agenda, and was responsible for publishing the artificial intelligence sector deal as part of the Government's industrial strategy to put the UK at the forefront of the AI and data-driven economy"

[jas44] 15/11/2019 11:28

"Crooked CEO's never miss an opportunity to cash out at opportune moments" - which is why he dumped ~£500k worth moments after releasing china ramp news earlier this year. He dumped at highs on the back of his despicable ramping.

[jointer13] 15/11/2019 11:26

the secondees.

"This order emphasises the importance to the Company of the seconded employees from the Department for International Trade and their ability to access key markets and truly global corporations. We look forward to working with this customer to help them maximise the benefits the addition of our graphene can bring to a number of their products."

Japanese Graphene Order.

Versarien plc (AIM: VRS), the advanced materials engineering group, is pleased to announce that the Company has secured its first graphene orders from the North American corporate research and development centre of a Japanese headquartered company. This customer is a global automotive components company that has operations in over 40 countries, employing in excess of 250,000 people (the "Customer").

After initial graphene quality testing trials, the Customer, has placed development orders for 1kg each of Versarien's high purity graphene nano platelets ("GNP-HP") and Nanene. The Customer's principle operations focus on leading-edge automotive materials and process development, and the development of next-generation, vehicle-related, information and communications technology.

Neill Ricketts, CEO of Versarien, commented: "We are very pleased to have secured this order, our first from a Japanese headquartered company.

"This order emphasises the importance to the Company of the seconded employees from the Department for International Trade and their ability to access key markets and truly global corporations. We look forward to working with this customer to help them maximise the benefits the addition of our graphene can bring to a number of their products."

[johnveals] 15/11/2019 11:15

MW's secondment comes to its natural conclusion in May of next year after a two year period, presumably to continue his career as a civil servant. There is no "leaving early" about it.

But then facts were never your strong point bill.

[johnveals] 15/11/2019 11:10

I would add that my hope for 'with the rewards very much at the back end' is exponential growth to stratospheric levels. But as they say, DYOR.

[66sequoia] 15/11/2019 11:08

Ha.. turn over to watch the latest episode of the drama "Schmally V The trolls, they dont like it up em!

[billwave] 15/11/2019 11:04

And regards the DIT secondees you mention, for all they were a much needed massive boost to the waning confidence levels in VRS at the time, I'll remind you that one of them has already came and gone and there was talk of Matt leaving early in the New Year. They appear not to have made the impact or lead the kind of progress that many were hoping for.

[johnveals] 15/11/2019 11:00

I recall NR saying at an investor event that he didn't see the share price suddenly going into orbit but that he thought it would rise over a period of time.

I agree with lovat scout, one of the more rational posters here, regarding timescale.

However given the breadth and depth of the current collaborations, that we know about, it would only take one or two of them to come to fruition for the share price to show a significant rise to a new ATH. And after that...

[billwave] 15/11/2019 10:59

schmally - Yes, I am suggesting that as yet VRS amounts to nothing more than pure hype, with no substance, is massively overvalued and the 180p highs achieved were dependant entirely on NR's exuberant promotion via social media. Am I the only one? I thank you for your alternative perspective of events and I have of course given consideration. Possibly due to the outrageous number of RNS's, which in their entirety have amounted to nothing, he didn't allow himself much elbow room to exit. Now that we are all quiet on that front, under the pretence of concentrating on the big 5, perhaps we may see some selling down? That is pure speculation of course. Only time will tell who's interpretation will prove correct. Good luck.

[schmally] 15/11/2019 10:36

Bill, That is absolutely brilliant. By far you best post yet.

So you appear to be suggesting that despite Neill apparently knowing his business is all just pure hype with no substance and massively overvalued, that his inflated ego was responsible for him failing to sell his shares at any point during the spike to £1.80+ and it was because he thought he could continue to dupe investors to keep on pushing the price higher.

Crooked CEO's never miss an opportunity to cash out at opportune moments, so don't you think that Neill would have perhaps sold just a few shares here and there on the way up and down (he could have easily made a few lies up to justify cashing in a few million without crashing the price too much if he really wanted). You would also have thought that once he knew the self titled "Sheriff of Aim" was gunning for him on Twitter, that he would have run for the hills with his bags full of swag.

Instead, he has sold none of his original core holding. Yes, I know, your gang will continue to insinuate that Neill has sold shares on rises, but everyone knows these were his options (a more tax efficient salary option) and not his core holding. On one occasion he also cashed out some prior to a positive RNS that he knew would push the share price higher.

He also rejected the initial advances of the Chinese when they tried to pressure him into a deal that would have no doubt produced fantastic short term financial gain. Instead, he refused to cash in early and took positive actions to protect shareholder value for the longer term by getting DIT secondees involved.

I'm sure you'll agree these are hardly the actions of your typical AIM CEO con artists.

[luckyorange] 15/11/2019 10:19

The Chinese culture is entirely different to the EU one for example , when the decide to do something they DO it. Their change to electric buses has been phenomenally quick in various areas and that is Government led , if they say this needs to be done either those at local level do it or someone is put in place that will do it.

When I spoke to someone who is really up to date with China growth re: VRS he said that if they have Beijing backing over there then it will work and there is no won't in the plan , they will ensure that it succeeds , they are glass full get it done.

India will be the next to start change , Delhi smog has been appalling , akin to the 'pea soupers' in Georgian / Victorian times over here. They should kick into gear in the near future.

[pshevlin] 15/11/2019 10:12

Let's hope it gets out of control then :-)(but with a bit of time to feed a bit more cash in)

[luckyorange] 15/11/2019 10:04

You are missing the point Peter, the steady increase IS part of the big picture. To be honest if the Chinese investment community do get hold of it at some point as they tend to do with Government backed enterprises then it may get out of control.

IPO was 6 years ago so we are getting to the back end scenario.

[pshevlin] 15/11/2019 09:59

Lovat...if all the rewards are going to be at the back end why hang around now? Why not wait for a coupe of years and invest later? Personally I would prefer to see a steady increase in the share price over the next year or two at least to maintain interest (and am keeping what for me is a sustantial investment) but if what you say is true I will have plenty of time to reinvest easier money made elsewhere before/if the price shoots up.

[billwave] 15/11/2019 09:53

schmally - I do believe he got carried away with how successful his ramping activities had become among his cult following and his ego began to believe it would never end. Alas, here we are, several years in the making and still "on the cusp" of something great but practically no sales or revenue being generated of any kind. Still, he has attained multi millionaire status on the back of it however, that in itself is an amazing achievement. Well done NR.

[lovat scout] 15/11/2019 09:47

LO - More positive than I was when I first invested in VRS shortly after IPO and each subsequent top up came after another leap forward (no Chinese pun intended!). I am as eager for progress as I’m sure everyone else is but for me VRS has always been a PE style 5/10 year investment horizon, with the rewards very much at the back end.

Each to their own. AIMHO